Kasturba Gandhi was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatama Gandhi), a notable leader of the Indian independence struggle, who became a political activist in her own right as a result of her husband’s involvement. Despite her celebrity as the wife of a renowned man, Kasturba Gandhi was a selfless patriot who tirelessly battled for civil rights and India’s freedom from British domination. She married Gandhi at a young age and quickly had to deal with the obligations of motherhood after giving birth to four kids in a short period of time. She was a dedicated wife and mother who put in long hours for her family. Due to her husband’s political duties, she had to live apart from him for long periods of time and handled all of her home chores admirably. She was eventually affected by her husband’s views and became involved in political activities as well. She and her husband moved to South Africa and got involved in the Phoenix Settlement, as well as protesting the working conditions for Indians in the country. She was even imprisoned for her advocacy, yet she never wavered in her convictions. She inspired women in India to join the Indian independence struggle and urged other women to participate for social and political issues by working with her husband.
Childhood and Adolescence
Kasturba was born in Porbandar on April 11, 1869, to merchant Gokuldas Makanji and his wife Vrajkunwerba Kapadia. Except for a few fundamental facts, little is known about her early life.
Her father was a close friend of Mohandas Gandhi’s father, Karamchand Gandhi. Both fathers made the decision to marry their children in order to bring their families closer together.
Kasturba’s marriage was fixed with Mohandas, and the children were betrothed to each other when they were seven years old, as was a customary procedure in nineteenth-century India.
In 1882, the young couple married and began living together as husband and wife. Before they matured and comprehended the true meaning of wedded life, they got to know one other as friends and played together.
At the time of her marriage, Kasturba was uneducated, and Mohandas took it upon himself to educate her. He meticulously taught her the alphabets and how to write. However, due to her home responsibilities and the fact that she did not share her husband’s love for school, she was unable to learn anything.
Their connection grew stronger over time, and she gave birth to her first son, Harilal, in 1888. She was unable to accompany Mohandas to London to study because she was responsible for raising their son.
She remained heavily immersed in home responsibilities throughout the next few years, giving birth to two more sons: Manilal in 1892 and Ramdas in 1897.
Meanwhile, her spouse was earning notoriety as a result of his political involvement. She, too, collaborated closely with her husband, accompanying him to South Africa in 1897 to practice law. Devadas, the couple’s fourth son, was born to her in 1900.
Because Mohandas was so preoccupied with political action, he was unable to devote much of his time to their sons. As a result, the young mother bore a significant amount of the enormous responsibility of parenting the sons.
She, too, was interested in socio-political issues at the time, but she tried her hardest to be a devoted mother to her four sons despite this.
In 1906, Mohandas Gandhi swore the oath of celibacy and chastity. Kasturba, who had always been a staunch supporter of her husband, agreed, and the two never had any sexual interactions after that.
During the 1910s, she became deeply active in campaigning in the Phoenix Settlement near Durban. She was imprisoned and condemned to three months in a hard labor prison after taking part in a 1913 protest in South Africa against working conditions for Indians.
In 1915, Mohandas Gandhi returned to India to promote the Indian independence cause, and his wife, ever supportive, accompanied him. She also got interested in social work and began teaching reading, writing, health, and hygiene.
She joined her husband as he became more involved in political causes and protests, and she became his pillar of support. Her commitment to national and social problems inspired other women to join the growing socio-political organizations in India.
She became a very popular figure in India as a result of her political activism and her affiliation with Mohandas Gandhi, and people respectfully called her as “Ba.”
She was detained numerous times during her activity, yet nothing could break her unbreakable spirit. Even though she became unwell in her latter years, she remained a strong supporter of her husband until she died.
Personal history and legacy
Despite the fact that she had been married to Mohandas Gandhi for nearly six decades, only a few information regarding their relationship are known to the general public. Despite being a brilliant woman with a strong sense of independence, her work was usually overshadowed by that of her more famous spouse.
In January 1944, she had two heart attacks and never fully recovered. She died in her husband’s arms on February 22, 1944.
Estimated Net worth
Kasturba is one of the wealthiest and most popular members of the family. Kasturba Gandhi’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.